Our curriculum provides students broad and deep training at the cutting edge of modern biology through a learn-by-doing philosophy. Our approach to teaching cross-disciplinary life sciences prepares students for today's accelerating pace of discovery in biological sciences.

Events

Join us on Thursday, January 24, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. in the UB Center for the Arts Atrium for the 14th Annual Biological Sciences Research Symposium, presented by the Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association and the UB Department of Biological Sciences, and co-sponsored by the MFA Graduate Student Association. The keynote at 4:00 p.m. will be delivered by Dr. Irwin Gelman, Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

New & Noteworthy

“Our research identifies CD36 as a candidate for further study. Senescence is a fundamental aspect of being a cell, but there is still a lot that we don’t know about it,” says Omer Gokcumen, assistant professor of biological sciences, College of Arts and Sciences. “Senescence seems to have implications for old age and cancer, so understanding it is very important.”

Six fellowships are awarded to select students each year.

9/4/18

Generous alumni and friends of the Department of Biological Sciences have provided funds to underwrite a number of scholarships and fellowships to provide support for our students. As a result, our faculty selects six undergraduate students to receive annual fellowships.

"A lot of the treatments being developed for Alzheimer’s are targeting beta-amyloid, but maybe we should be targeting processes that happen earlier on, before plaques are formed.” Shermali Gunawardena

Sara Fox wins $500. UB CURCA Student Research Award, 2017

3/19/18

Sara Fox has received the 2017 Undergraduate Research Award through CURCA, which includes a grant of $500. supported by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. Congratulations Sara and keep up the great work! We look forward to all your future achievements!

Our CRISPR lab focuses on disabling genes in baker’s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Students know if they’ve employed CRISPR successfully because they can literally see the results: Classmates who used CRISPR to break a gene called ADE2 see yeast colonies turn a bubblegum pink within days, while those who used CRISPR to deactivate a gene called STE12 see colonies take on an uncharacteristic shape a few weeks later.

Marie Saitou was working on her PhD at the University of Toyko last year when she read a paper published by UB biologist Omer Gokcumen’s research group. The long-distance research relationship worked so well that Saitou applied for and received a postdoctoral fellowship at UB to continue her research on metabolizing genes. Gokcumen is now officially her faculty mentor.

“We’re using a multidisciplinary approach to understand the evolution, structure and function of a viral gene co-opted by a mammal,” says UB evolutionary biologist Derek J. Taylor. “From an evolutionary standpoint, it’s rare that you can actually see a viral gene sequence like this that has remained intact in a mammalian host. Most of these things are eroded over time — they get chopped up and shuffled around."

Signaling faculty study cellular communication and the intracellular pathways that regulate activity. These faculty use a wide range of model organisms and techniques to examine a diverse array of signalling pathways involved in hormonal regulation, sensory transduction, and cell growth and metabolism.

Our faculty study cell biology and signalling pathways that are used by filamentous fungi and budding yeast to adapt to their environments. Our research uses yeast as a model organism to study the mechanisms of gene expression.

Recent Graduates

"My work in Dr. Gunawardena’s lab focused on developing a methodology to advance our understanding of how proteins and other vital cargos are trafficked across the long distances in neurons. Our new system allowed us to visualize and directly measure the movement of these cargoes over a period of neural development. My success thus far has been the direct result of the opportunities and support I have received during my undergraduate research. These early experiences have helped to make my ambitions of becoming a scientific investigator on the forefront of human knowledge a possibility."

Current Activity: Continuing to develop my ability to explore fundamental problems in nature by pursuing my PhD in Biochemistry at UB.

"I loved that the Bio department offered a variety of introductory and specialized courses. I felt the Neurobiology courses and Honors research methodology course prepared me well for graduate school. I am also grateful to the department for awarding me the Knobloch fellowship that helped me pursue my research in the lab of Professor Malcolm Slaughter." Current Activities: Gates Cambridge Scholar pursuing a PhD in Pharmacology in University of Cambridge, UK, researching arthritic pain to develop novel drug targets.

Timothy Hansen

3/19/18

"As an undergraduate in the department of biological sciences at UB, I was truly able to receive a unique education with the ability to customize and individualize my experience. Over the course of three years I was able to develop a research project of my own, and receive close mentorship from many faculty members. I developed skills in basic science research, as well as grant writing and public speaking. This led to a summer research internship at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and a trip to San Diego to present my work at a national genetics conference."

Current Activity: UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Class of 2019

Vijyendra Ramesh

3/19/18

"The UB Biological Sciences department is a great place to grow as a student and a future communicator of science. Established scientists are really friendly and willing to mentor you, let you work in their labs and even let you be teaching assistants for their classes. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here!"

Current Activities: Ph.D. Student in Molecular & Cellular Biology at Duke University School of Medicine, currently doing lab rotations.